City Stars
by AllBlueChaser
Summary: Dick Grayson thinks he might have a thing for Artemis but if she truly hates Gotham there's no way she's the one for him. A drabble for the YJ drabblethon.


"Come here…" Dick Grayson pulled Artemis away from the Wayne Foundation Charity Benefit and out on to the balcony by the hand. She frowned after him. She knew why she was here, all recipients of her scholarship were required to show to two of these a year. She knew why he was here, the son of the Bruce Wayne after all. What she couldn't figure was why he was paying her so much attention.

She knew him from school, he could talk to her there if he wanted without having to give up the crowd of more expensively dressed girls who obviously wanted more than a dance with the heir to billions. Instead he was taking her hand and leading her out onto a balcony on a cool autumn night.

"Look." He swept his arm out and she paused momentarily in confusion before following his gaze.

"OH." Artemis inhaled as the scene made her breath catch. She had never seen Gotham from any good vantage point before. Not at night. "It's so beautiful."

Dick slid next to her casually and she made a mental note that he just might grow up to be as big a playboy as his dad if this was any indication.

"You know it's not though…." He murmured softly by her ear. She looked at him in surprise and he gave a small smirk. "I know it too. I'm not always up here in a mansion. Gotham is cesspool up close. Full of corruption, violence, and a negative sickness that just breeds and feeds on itself."

This was hardly the romantic schmoozing she was half-expecting when he pulled her out here. Not that she had wanted that. She had been going to politely point out to the kid that she was flattered but just because his daddy owned the place didn't mean he could have expectations of her nor would it work out since she was really a secretive person and wouldn't be able to stand the Cinderella treatment the press would surely shove onto her.

Funny thing was, he was getting to her. It wasn't an act, he, a boy who could have anything he wanted seemed distressed at the state of his city. He gripped the railing of the balcony as if he too wanted to fly down toward the glittery lights and save it. He cared. He was handsome, rich, smart, nice, kind of amusing, had some kind of interest in her but none of that was as attractive as the fact that he cared about a city many gave up on, one that was thought could never change or step out from whatever darkness had birthed it.

"It's like stars. The light that is so pretty, is just an illusion from so many years ago the star that caused it might not even exist anymore, just a hallow blackness in space."

Artemis felt a chill as she looked out to the lights and Dick Grayson put his arm around her.

"But it's our home. We live here. We know there is a heart beating here, a soul here, and a spirit that fights the darkness and becomes stronger."

"Batman?" She mussed and he broke out into a playful laugh that made her smile.

"No, you know what I mean. Gotham herself. A lot of people might think that Gotham's the worst of the worst…."

Suddenly Artemis recalled saying those very words this morning at Mount Justice. Wally asking about how fighting crime in Star City was, and how she had given Robin a sympathetic look and said how she really loved Star City and that she was glad, no offence, that she didn't have to go to a worst of the worst city like Gotham unless it was for a mission. Of course she lived there and had done some vigilante stuff there, but they didn't know that.

"And I like you Artemis…"

Huh? Had he still been talking? OH shit! What had she missed? She tried to recall but her mind kept drawing her back to the fact she was on a balcony with Dick Grayson. His arm around her and she hadn't yet told him off about it.

"And it's cool if you aren't fooled either, by this pretty illusion I mean…" He turned to face her slightly and his bright blue eyes looked searchingly into hers with seriousness much older than a fifteen year old should be able to get away with. "But I need to know before, before I get more committed, do you think what Batman and Robin do has meaning?"

"You mean since Gotham is so terrible?"

Dick gave her a stiff nod and looked back out at the blinking lights of Gotham as he waited for her answer. He actually kinda reminded her of Robin a bit like this, but that was her just being silly.

"Yes." This certainly wasn't what she pictured Dick Grayson's make it or break it question to be and she certainly didn't think that she'd be harboring hopes of getting such a question correct earlier tonight. "It's really not all that terrible and it deserves hope. Deserves a chance to be saved. Redemption. We all do."

Dick grinned at her. He liked Artemis, but Robin couldn't love someone who had given up on Gotham, who claimed to be a hero but wouldn't fight just as hard or as seriously for his city.

"Are you sure that's not just the illusion talking?" She was just intimidated by the city. He could deal with that.

"She's certainly a knockout." Artemis grinned back. She shouldn't have been surprised when he took her hand and brought it to his mouth to place a gentle kiss on it.

"She's not the only one." As long as she wasn't intimidated by him.

Artemis didn't bother hiding her grin. The kid was definitely like his father, but better.


End file.
